CK協働プロジェクト 事務支援室
〒606-8501
京都市左京区吉田本町

tel : 075-753-4896 / 4897 / 5010
fax : 075-753-9147
mail : 090gcanon
[at]mail2.adm.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Message

By promoting academic freedom thought, Kyoto University aims to boldly approach solutions to multiple problems, and to contribute to peaceful coexistence between the peoples of the world.To achieve this aim, we must succeed in 3 primary missions; (1) education which fosters talent via “knowledge
transmission”; (2) research which implements “knowledge creation” to address cutting-edge research topics; and (3) contribute to society via education and research activities that bring value to mankind.

The project between Kyoto University and Canon “Innovative Techno-hub for Integrated Medical Bio-imaging” named CK project was started in 2006 and is expected to continue on a 10-year plan supported by the MEXT Budget for the Promotion of Science and Technology as part of the Creation of innovation centers for advanced interdisciplinary research areas program. It is a good example of education and research activities that put the University’s ideals into concrete practice, and we hope that by performing cutting-edge research and fostering talent we will contribute to creating the “healthy society” that is sought by all of humanity.

Working in close partnership with Canon, Kyoto University has been fostering innovation in the field of medical bio-imaging technologies related to the early detection of illnesses, and strives toward achieving the grand aim of building a healthy society through research that integrates medical, engineering and information sciences. Since its founding, with the support and cooperation of all those involved and through the exceptional efforts of academics, researchers, technicians and professionals involved in project-planning from both Kyoto University and Canon, many novel key technologies have already been developed. These results led to the program being continued following the 3-year review held in 2008, and thus providing further opportunities to strongly promote research and development.

In addition to pursuing direct achievements in research, the CK project also seeks the organizational and systematic restructuring of the University’s education and research, which makes it an important endeavor with far-reaching social significance in diverse areas. Kyoto University is thus taking the opportunity offered by this project to restructure university systems, and is hoping to build education and research organizations that can continue to address both the difficulties facing society in the near future “improving QOL (quality of life) in the super-aging society” as well as current pressing challenges, and to nurture talent which can play active roles in emerging interdisciplinary fields in medicine and engineering.

By positioning itself to provide direction to achieve the aforementioned three missions of the CK project, Kyoto University believes with certainty that it shall succeed.

Chief Executive Officer(CEO)
President, Kyoto University


A unique and exclusive university-company partnership model has driven this project. From the outset, professors at Kyoto University and members of Canon’s development department have held vigorous discussions on an equal standing to unite technology and practical application. By combining Kyoto University’s background in integrated science and technology and its excellent record in clinical research with Canon’s technical strengths in product development, the drive to achieve innovation in medical treatment has become a pillar of this work.

In the medical sphere today, it is commonly known that leading medical treatment relies on a handful of imagingdiagnosis modalities. If we consider novel developments in science and technology and the spread of IT technologies, we can see that we are in a position to create the next modality. In this project, we have a long-term aim to propose and realize such a novel imaging-diagnosis technique, modality “X”.

However, since this program does not seek to achieve results in groundwork R&D but rather to deliver concrete products, change is needed in the project itself. In seed technologies, if we wish to proceed from cultivation to commercialization, a given modality obviously needs to become clinically significant in terms of proof-of-concept and the results of clinical tests. Hence, our mission is to propose modality “X” on the basis of leading foundation research, to establish the technology seeds it comprises, and, further, to create systems that are user-friendly products. In doing this, we envision the possibility of creating a positive cycle that delivers innovation.

While the project places emphasis on future commercialization and laying of foundations, there is a limit to what can be achieved by a single company in terms of implementing new made-in-Japan imaging-diagnosis modalities. With regard to the support offered by industries, it is necessary to bring companies with complementary core capabilities together to form a base. With plans to overcome the current tough economic climate and further strengthen the leadership needed to achieve new growth, Canon is resolved to support this project. Furthermore, we hope to create a strong core by involving companies aligned with the technologies and concepts nurtured by this project in the planning process.

Cooperating organizations
Canon Inc. Special Adviser